The Priory

The Priory is a schoolhouse, originally a gardener's cottage dating to circa 1740, with a 19th-century enlargement and a large late 20th-century addition designed by Richard Jones for Dodsley, Ralph Allen’s gardener. The building is constructed of limestone ashlar and coursed stone with a concrete tile roof. It has an irregular plan, featuring a short west-facing entrance front with two gables and a central entrance, a long return front to the south with a projecting square bay (formerly containing an entrance door), and a twin-gabled transverse addition to the east. The architectural style is Gothic Revival, representing some of the earliest examples in the country. A large 20th-century extension sits behind the main building.

The exterior features recessed hollow-moulded stone mullioned casements with cusped heads and stopped drips. The west-facing entrance front has a semi-octagonal bay to the left, topped with a crenellated parapet and featuring one-four-one-light openings with transoms on both levels. The centre has a slight oriel with a three-light window, set beneath a stone capping and moulded bracket, above a four-centred opening with recessed 20th-century glazed doors on two steps contained within moulded curbs that stop to slender octagonal panelled piers. To the right is the original semicircular bay with a crenellated parapet over seven cusped lights at each level. The main gables are coped with ball finials. The return to the left is in squared rubble, with a three-light window at the first floor and a two-light window below. The principal south-facing garden front has one, two, and three-light casements, including those to the deep projecting square unit with a crenellated parapet. Towards the rear, there’s an opening with French doors. Beyond this are two later gabled ranges, set forward.

The interior has not been inspected. A low balustrade is located to the right of the entrance, with two bays to the right of the stone steps in a slight bow. To the right of the projecting rear gable are two sets of five stone steps, leading to a long wall with crenellated coping that runs south to a point near a free-standing archway (listed separately). The wall, partly covered by planting, includes a blind pointed recess with a fountain. The original roof was hipped, with an entry on the long south side. A former pediment portico, said to have been on the south side of the chapel in the main house, is noted. Stones from the former Priory at the bottom of the hill were reportedly incorporated into the building’s fabric.